Vehicle-shaft.



1). W. GONNELL. VEHICLE SHAFT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1905 PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

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DAVID W. OONNELL, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VELIE CARRIAGECOMPANY, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-SHAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. CONNELL, a

States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle-Shafts and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The object of this'invention is to effectively strengthen vehicle shaftsor thills where they bend down at the rear for attachment to thevehicle-axle, and especially to strengthen and brace the bends againstbacking strain of the team.

Vehicle-shafts usually have their bends reinforced by metal strapsbolted to the under concave sides of the shaft, and the ends of thesestraps terminate in eyes or loops through which the coupling-bolts arepassed for attaching the shafts to the axle. As so constructed theshafts are fully strong enough to withstand the regular pulling strain,but are weak against any backing strain, often breaking when such strainis severe, as when a horse backs up grade or against some 0bstruction.Not only does this weakness exist in the curved portion of the woodenshaftbar, which is not materially strengthened by its under strapagainst backward strains, but,

moreover, the backing of the horse tends to bend the lower end of thestrap where it couples to the axle and to pull it away from the underside of the shaft. As the strap is weakest where the bolt-hole comes, itfrequently breaks just above the eye. In some instances vehicle-makershave attempted to strengthen the shaft by straight brace-rods. Thesemerely strengthen the shafts against forward pull, which is not needed,but do not materially strengthen the same against backing strain. Thepresent invention overcomes all such defects and provides a shaftperfectly braced and strengthened against both pulling and backingstrains by simple and inexpensive means substantially as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a fragment of avehicle-shaftnamely, the rear bend or curved portion thereof-having myinvention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the curved bracerod, which is thechief element of my invention. Fig. 4 is a top planview of the fragmentof the shaft shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing also a part of thecross-bar which connects the rear portions of the two shafts. Fig. 5 isa vertical cross-section on line X X of Fig. 2.

A particular explanation of the illustrated device is as follows: Theshaft A, in addition to its regular under reinforcement of thestrap-iron B, has its rear bend or curved portion strengthened by abrace-rod O, the same being a tension-rod curved to conform to the upperor convex side of the bend against which it lies and tightly connectingthe shaft A in front of the bend with the rear lower end of thestrap-iron B. Said bracerod O is preferably seated in a groove thereforin the upper side of the shaft-bar desirably to the depth of about halfits own width or diameter. Its front end has an eye 0, engaging the rearbolt (Z of the T clip or iron D, which connects the shaft A to itscross-bar E. The rear end of said brace-rod,

which is threaded at c, enters an aperture therefor in the rear lowerend of the strap B and has a nut c screwed thereon, the nut bcingadjusted to tighten the rod to make the brace effective.

This device accomplishes a twofold result. In the first place itstrengthens the bend of the shaft-bar perfectly against any backwardstrain due to backing of the horse. Furthermore, it ties the under strapB to the wooden shaft-bar just in front of the eye I) and in this waymakes it impossible for the strap to be broken or pulled from theshaft-bar by the backing of the animal. By means of the nut or by anyequivalent means at the lower end of the brace-rod perfect adjustment ofthe brace can be had and proper tension given to the rod to meet therequirements of usage. As the bracerod is seated in-the top of theshaft-bar, when it is painted it presents a neat appearance and adds tothe attractiveness of that part of the shaft. It resembles a beadrunning from the T-iron backward and downward to the end of the shaft.It does away with the awkward appearance of the straight brace-rod, suchas heretofore used in some cases, and supplies the deficiency of suchrods by giving strength to the shaft. The heads IOC of the bolts a, thathold the strap B to the with a tension-rod as a unitary part of saidshaft, the opposite ends of'said' rod being fixedly secured directly tomen the shaft itself, and means for tensioning said rod, the arrangementbeing such that the tension of the red. acts on the bend in a mannertending to straighten the same. I

2. A shaft having its bend reinforced by an under strap, and a curvedbrace-rod seated against the upper side of the bend and con nected tothe shaft at the front of the bend and connected to the rear lower endof the under strap, and means for tensionin said rod.

3 A shaft having a strap attac ed tothe under side of its bend, saidstrap terminating in an eye for a coupling-bolt, and a brace rodattached to the upper side of said bend, the rearend thereof passingthrough the strap in front of its eye, and a nut screwed on said end of'said rod. for tightening the same.

4. shaft having. its bend reinforced by a strap on the under sidethereof and a ten si oned brace-rod onthe upper side thereof,

the forward end' of the brace-rod having an eye which engages one of thebolts that bind the strap to the shaft, and the rear end of thebrace-rod being adjustably connected to the i strap in such manner as toallow adjustment of the tension of said rod.

5. A shaft having its bend reinforced by ,under strap, and a brace-rodapplied to the an under strap, and having a longitudinal groove in theupper side of its bend, and a brace-rod seated in saidgroove havin itsforward end attached to the shaft and its rear end attached to thestrap.

6. A shaft having its bend reinforced by an under strap attached theretoand terminating in a thillcouplin and a brace-rod seated. against theupper side of the bend having its forward end bolted to the shaft andits rear end inserted through the strap immediately in front of thethill-coupling, and a nut screwed onsaid rear end for tightening thebrace-rod.

7. A shaft having a brace-rod applied to the upper or convex side of itsbend, the front and rear ends of said brace-rod being attached' directlyto the shaft itself, and means for adjusting the tension of saidbrace-rod,

said adjusting means being independent of the means for coupling theshaft to the ve hicle.

8. A shaft having its bend reinforced by an upper side of the bendhaving its front end attached to the shaft and its rear end connectedtosaid under strap at the rear lower end of 1 the shaft, and means foradjusting the tension of said brace-rod.

9. A shaft having a strap attached to its bend, said' strap terminatingin a thill-eoupling at the rear lower end of the shaft, and a tie-rodconnecting said thill-cou'pling with the j shaft and opposing the pullon the chill-coupling due to a backing strain on the shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1 in presence of twowitnesses.

DAVID W. CONNELL.

l'Vitnesses:

CHARLES H. Porn, FRED H. COOPER.

